JUL 22 -- (Baltimore, Maryland) – On July 21, 2010, U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Darnell Angelo Holmes, age 41, of Baltimore, to 188 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute heroin. Judge Quarles enhanced Holmes’ sentence upon finding that he is a career offender based on two previous robbery convictions and a narcotics conviction.

The sentence was announced by Ava Cooper-Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration; United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy.

According to Holmes’ plea agreement, from about 2008 through April 2009, he conspired with others to distribute heroin. During the conspiracy, law enforcement officers overheard Holmes in telephone conversations with co-defendants discussing and arranging transactions involving the wholesale distribution of heroin. Based upon these conversations and surveillance conducted by law enforcement, Holmes was determined to control a stash location for the heroin. During the conspiracy, Holmes would obtain bulk quantities of heroin from a co-defendant, and then package the heroin for redistribution. Holmes admitted that, along with other members of the conspiracy, he conspired to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.